I am an opportunist.
On the weekend, I walked into Lorenz's condo at Blue Mountain, and right after "hi" I said "I want a cappuccino". Because, you see, a) I do not have my own proper way of making cappucino; b) I like cappucino a whole lot; c) my place of work has a borderline unacceptable coffee culture and there is *no* place to go for a frothy treat; d) I refuse to be one of the people who pilgrimages to Starbucks; and e) Lorenz has always prided himself on his frothy coffee-making appliances. Thus, seeing Lorenz is an opportunity for cappucino drinking, and I no longer wait for him to offer to make one, I ask.
And after I demand ask for my cappuccino, I go into waiting mode and make impatient motions toward the coffee-making-machine if Lorenz wants to chit-chat and doesn't get right down to it. Thus, I don't really register everything that goes on until a mug is handed to me, and I only half heard Lorenz go on about the spaceship coffeemaking appliance he bought for the house. There was something about "Italian" and "grinds the beans" and probably "reads my mind and makes the coffee before I get up", but I was staring at the chicken mug in Lorenz's hand trying to will him to move it closer to the not nearly as newfangled espressomaker on the counter at the condo.
And then I came to my senses. I wanted to know what happened to the previous coffee machine! It was probably the fourth or fifth espresso/cappuccino maker gracing the house since I've known Lorenz, and it was my favourite to date. It was red! It could steam milk infinitely, even if you weren't making coffee! I wanted to know a) did it break? and b) if it didn't, could I have it?
And last night, I drove to the farm and picked up my accumulated mail, which I did not care about that much, and the bright red coffee machine. And random accumulated chocolates that Lorenz and the kids don't like (how can you not like Mozartkugeln?) And now, my kitchen is so much prettier, and I am drinking my second self-made cappuccino.
(You should also know, before I agreed to drive to Collingwood and visit at the condo, I whined at Lorenz to go to Highlands Nordic and check on the trail conditions - he sent a text message from there - because I didn't want to go unless the skiing was acceptable. I also wanted to know what was for dinner before I made my decision.)
(It's a wonder I have any friends at all, isn't it?)
Posted by Johanna at March 4, 2009 07:59 AM